I love baths like nothing else. They relax me, they stress detox me, I’m stuck, naked in the water, unable to distract or multitask or laptop or do much of anything except…breath. Sweat. Relax my mind. In Buddhism, they say that space is what allows creativity. A bath is where we restore our problem-solving, innovative self—and where we renew our capacity to be still, and to feel joy, instead of merely searching for it.

So I’ve made a study of it. I’ve been in a few amazing baths in my time. My bath at home is an old, recycled clawfoot from a Denver Hotel that I bought offa craigslist. It’s a bit too small, the lights glare in my eyes, my bathroom looks nothing like the below…but it’s pretty damn good. And when I’m rich and even more caffeinated up and stressed out and beat down, I’ll look to baths like the below for renovation inspiration.

Key note: keep it green. Chemicals don’t clean, they kill. Recycle and reuse fixtures and lighting and use recycled tile (much of which is “brand-new,” as in my bathroom).

This looks good (great), but there’s at least three things wrong with it. A bath is all about relaxing. We need privacy to relax. Having a big space behind one’s head: bad fengshui. Driveway in your view = subtle nervousness. Dead animal: cool looking, but go with cardboard. Wood floor? As mentioned before, welcome to warping and pricey renovation.

Thanks for such a lovely article, and all of the gorgeous pics. This is why when I travel I always request a room with a bath tub! It's nice to see another big bath tub fan making a statement about it 😉